Railroad tie



Jan. 31, 1928.

1,657,993 W. F. CROCKETT RAILROAD TIE Filed June 11. 1927 2 Sheets-5heet 1 KNVENTOR ATTO R N EY Jan. 31, 1928.

w. F. CRQCKETT RAILROAD TIE Filed June 11. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY &

Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

tenses WILLIAM Ii. CRUCKETT, F BARNETT, MISSOURI.

RAILROAD TIE.

v Application filed .luue 11, 1927. llerial No. 198,169.

.My present invention has reference to a metal tie and means for effectively securing rails thereon.

An object is the provision of means, in a 6 construction of this character for securely locking various sizes and types of railway rails on a metal tie, and further wherein, either a narrow or a wide gage track may be produced.

A still further object is to provide a hollow substantially rectangular metal tie with combined gage and rail plates that have a toothed engagement with the tie and are, therefore, laterally adjustable thereon, and further wherein the base flanges of the rails are engaged by rail clamps of a particular and peculiar construction and which clamps in turn are engaged by adjustable wedge means which sustain the clamps in looking engagement with the rails and likewise sustain the said clamps firmly locked on the tie.

To the attainment ot' the above broadly stated objects and others which will present themselves as the nature of the invention is better understood, the improvement also resides in certain other novel features of construction, combination and operative association of parts, one satisfactory embodiment oi which is disclosed by the accompanying drawings. 1

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of the im provement, showing rails locked on the tie. FigureQ is a substantially central longrtuch nal sectional View through the construction illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end view thereof.

Figure l is a sectional view approximately on the line l-lof Figure 2.

0 Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the rail clamps.

Figure 6 is a similar view of one of the combined rail and gage plates.

As disclosed by the drawings, a tie in accordance with this invention, is hollow and is of a substantially rectangular formation. However, the sides of the hollow tie 1 are arranged at an outward angle with respect to the flat top and base oi the tie. These outwardly inclined sides 2, when contacted by the road bed el'l'ectively retain the tie embedded therein.

The flat top of the tie 1, at points adjacent to the ends thereof, is recessed both longitudinally and transversely to provide channel portions that attord rail seats. The

bottoms of these channels are formed with saw teeth 3, and are each provided with a pair of spaced openings, one of which being disposed in a line with the inner wall provided by the channel and is indicated by the numeral 4, and the other indicated by the numeral 5, is disposed a suitable distance from the opposite side wall provided by the channel.

The combined rail and gage plates are of similar construction and are indicated in the drawings by the numeral 6. Each of these plates has its under face formed with saw teeth to coengage with the teeth in the channel portions of the tie. Each of the plates 6 has its edges. centrally notched, as at 8 and 9, respectively. The notches 8 and 9 are designed. to register with the openings 4.- and 5 in the tie. The plate 6, adjacent to its outer edge, is formed with an upstanding enlargement, providing the same with an inner shoulder 10., and the opening 9 passes through this enlarged portion of the plate. -The shoulders 10 are designed for contacting engagement with the outer base flanges oi the rails 11 which rest on the plates 6. As the plates are designed for adjustment on the depressed portions providing the channeled rail seats 3 it will be apparent that the rails 11 may be properly gaged so that either narrow or wide gaged tracks can be thus produced. it will be tun ther apparent as the description progresses that, rails of different sizes may be arranged upon the tie and ellectively locked thereto.-

lhe rail clamps 12 are each in the nature oil a substantially rectangular block. The blocks 12 have their inner edges notched, as at 13, and these notches coincide with the cross sectional shape of the outer portions oi the base flanges of the rails 11, the said portions of the rails being received in the said notches. Each rail clamp from its outer end is centrally slotted, as at 14. The lower walls provided by the slots 14 are rounded. The inner walls provided by the slots in the inner rail clamps are straight, that is, the same are arranged at a right angle with respect to the longitudinal plane of these clamps but the inner walls provided by the slots in the outer clamps 12 are arranged at an angle, as indicated by the numeral l5.

Passing throi'lg'h the biilur *ateii portion oi? the rail clamps and. of course, disposed the hollow body of the tie 1, there are wedge lid v extension 16 which is round in cross section and which is threaded and these threaded portions or shanks 16 pass freely through angle openings 17 in the top of the tie The openings 17 are surrounded by upwarch 1y directed bosses l8 and the outer faces of the bosses are arranged at angles. The threaded shanks 16 are engaged by nuts 19 which, of course, contact with the outer faces of the bosses. By adjusting the nuts a longitudinal as well a downward swinging movement will: he imparted to the wedge members 16; This increment oft-he wedge members will cause the outer rail clamps 12 to assume an an ular or canting position as disclosed by higure 2 of the drawings, forcing-these clamps, both downwardly and inwardly with: respect to the rails 11, and consequently e'fiectiveiy loci: the rails 11 on the tie against vertical or canting movement, the binding action, however, not being su'liicient to impair the longitudinal movement of the rails incident to expansion and contraction.

The improvement provides for the effective locking of rails of ditl'erent sizes on the tie, for gaging the said rails and thereby producing a track of either a wide or narrow gage. a

l-lavingdescribed the invention, 1 claim 1. The combination, a hollow tie, coin bined gage and rail plates on the tie, interengaging means between the plates and the tie, rail engaging clamps passinothrough the ends of the gage plate and entering the tie, wedges in the hollow tie passing through the clamps, and means for adjustaoly lockingrthe. wedges to the tie.

2. The combination, a hollow tie, (50131 bined gage and rail plates on the tie, interengaging means between the plates and the tie,'rail engaging clamps passing through the ends of the gage plate and entering the which being disposed in a line with the 1 ts and each of the said plates having its under tare formed with saw teeth. to c0011- Y 1 1111 the teeth in the seats, each oi said ic ng; notched to aline with the openseats, said plates having outer ircuit ere i'or contact with the .ter e ges oi the bases of the rails when arranged on the plates, rail clamps each in eluding a bifurcated block having notches to engage said oi the base llanges oi? the rails, said clamps passing through the.

t ll

openings in the seats and through the notches in the plates, the inner wall pro rided in the bifurcated portions of the out er clamps being disposed at an angle with respect to the longitudinal plane of said clanr's, wedge members arranged in the hol e and received hrough the bifurcated rail clamps, each of said wedge members havin 11 i nor angle shank wuich is round and w 10h is threaded and which passes treely through an angle opening in the top of the tie, bosses surroumling the openings in the ties and having outer amide faces and nuts screwed on the stems and contacting with the sa d feces of the bosses.

in testin'zony whereof I aliix my signature.

WILLIAM F. CRO if T rial 

